Thursday, February 19, 2009

Shut Up about Scott Rolen's Contract

A favorite hobby of The Blue Jays Doom and Gloom Squad seems to be lamenting Scott Rolen's contract. While I fail to see the point of magical rosterbation like this (if they weren't paying him X dollars, they could give it to fuckin MANNY!), I do understand why they complain about Rolen's contract. It's because they're idiots.

According to Cot's Contracts, Scott Rolen is due $11 million dollars per year through 2010. He is owed a $4 million dollar bonus at the end of the deal, which the St Louis Cardinals will graciously pay. While that is a lot of money, it's hardly unreasonable. Especially when you consider the previous third baseman is out for three months and wanted out of town blah blah blah.

Luckily for us, we can break down a player's value very easily thanks to sites like Fangraphs. And in 115 games last year, even after going 0 for July, Scott Rolen was worth just under 3 wins in 2008. Or $13 million bucks on the open market. But JP's an idiot! Some fool went so far to suggest that Jose Bautista @ $2.4M was better than Rolen @ $11M. Why? Because that person is an idiot.

In Bautista's best season (not the one in which he played for 4 teams) was worth 1 win above average. Why? Because he sucks. It's really that simple. Thankfully Parkes of Drunk Jays Fans noted last spring the Jays claimed they would keep both Reed and Shannon Stewart, only to unceremoniously dump Beardy Reed towards the end of camp. Parkes believes that Bautista will get the same treatment, an idea that is sounds great to me. Let him play some during Grapefruit league, see somebody wants to toss a left handed relief pitcher JP's way (you can never have enough!) or just eat the cost of releasing him. A move I wholeheartedly support.

So once again, I am forced to defend Scott Rolen with the same tenacity and skill of Scott Rolen defending the hot corner. Once again, I encourage Rolen haters to take a second to understand how valuable he is, from a baseball AND aesthetic standpoint. Leave my Rolen alone.


  1. Thank you.

    And man, that is a great picture. You just know that right after he snagged that ball he quickly stood up and threw and absolute rope to first that hit Overbay in the chest. Beautiful.

  2. Fangraphs also had Overbay worth only $7.7M of the $6.8M he was paid last year.

  3. Fangraphs doesn't like Rolen's defense as much as Dewan (+/-) does.

    As good as he was last year, I expect Rolen to improve defensively after a full spring training and a year on the Fieldturf.

  4. Why? Because that person is an idiot.

    Sometimes, it is just that simple.

    I heart Rolen. He's going to be huge this year.

    We're winning the pennant.

    Oh, and fuck off Lloyd.

  5. Rolen is my favorite (non-Doc) Jay, but I still don't think giving the ReedRush to Bautista makes sense UNLESS there's a way to turn that money into Alou or some such.


    Fuck him. Bautista is 10 years younger and has that tasty LH split.

    If we need the $2 mil fine, if not, keep him around.

    I don't think that has anything to do with loving rolen which I unabashedly do!

  6. If only he got more dirt on his jersey... then people would be willing to pay him A-Rod money!

  7. You're an idiot

    Rolen is never going to be worth the contract that JP signd him to, because he's never going to properly recover from his injury

    sure he's a better player than Bautista, but he's not worth 8+ million more per season

    if the team could choose who to dump, they should dump Rolen

  8. 1. JP didn't sign him to any contract, he signed an extention with the Cards in 2002.

    2. He IS worth 8 million more per season than Bautista, almost based on defense alone.

    3. If this team could dump salaries, they would simply pocket the difference. Either that or they'd decide not to pay their closer $10 million per year.

    4. Watching someone awesome is much more fun than watching a shitbag like Bautista. Or watching Rogers "write down assets" in a ballpark full of cheap ads.

  9. lol

    Nice style there, J

    Rolen is a douchebag who thanks heaven every day because he's playing in Toronto so he can get away with ripping the team off without getting vilified by the fans

  10. "Leave my Rolen alone."

    yes. perfect, just a fucking perfect sentence.

    Scott Rolen is going to smash 15 HR and 40 doubles this season to go along with routinely making the opposition cry by stealing hit after hit at the hot corner.


  11. We love us a little Rolen, too.

    In fact, if we put our ear up to our handy desktop conch shell, we can hear a Joe Buck play-by-play call now...

    "Rolen fields it...across the diamond to Millar...The Toronto Blue Jays are WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS!"

    (And in case you think we've lost our mind: We're a little hung over and sleep yeah, a little bit.)

  12. I assume Millar came in for Overbay on a double switch because the last game of the series was on the road, right?

  13. Overbay was lifted for pinch runner BUCK FUCKING COATS in the top of the ninth.

    The late October weather deemed Coats necessary. He scored from first on Aaron Cibia's double to the left field alley.

  14. Meanwhile, surefire Rookie of the Year winner Brett Cecil looks to put the finishing touches on his magical season with a CG to give the Jays their 3rd WS title.


Send forth the witticisms from on high